Rolling up Cables
 

Rolling up cables and extension cords so they don't tangle...

useful

Slick mnemonic, good technique.

That man is a fucking retard. Any idiot knows you don't wrap wire or rope over the shoulder.

What the fuck are you babbling about, he's no where near his shoulder.

He makes it look so complicated. I don't need no stinkin' mnmnmnemnomnic to wrap the EHU cable for my Fanny up right!

Complicated? It's over-under-over-under. He just does it slowly, so you can see. Plus the part at the beginning where he makes the pile, presumably to check for any existing snarls or knots and release any existing twisting.

If it's a power cable, not so critical. Audio cables like a little gentler handling, and it makes sense to care for them cos they are a little more expensive.

I learned that technique in junior college, when I took a sound recording course. Once you have it down, you'll never wrap a cord any other way.

:thumb:

As I understand it, it's not just to protect the cables, but also to prevent the coil from having the same direction of twist the whole way. That way, you can throw it across the stage, and it will lay flat, rather than looking like a stretched slinky.

Just like coiling a heaving line.

Exactly. Tossing it out again was the test. If it stretched out in a straight line, that's proof you did it right. I've taught this trick to plenty of people over the years.

I didn't be come a sound engineer, but by golly, I know how to wrap a cord!

I remember that dude.

There ya go.

I have to admit that I have a power cable that is all fucked up because of years of me rolling it up wrong. I've known the correct method of doing it for a few years now, but the damage was already done. It's this power cable rated for cold temperatures by having a thin insulation, and you can feel the individual conductors on the inside all twisted up the wrong way. I can't really bear to throw it away, because it still works, but it's all twisted and nasty looking and can't be wound up properly anymore using any technique.

I somehow never learned this. I've always dealt with the twist that comes from unidirectional rolling by swirling the cable to straighten it. This results in me tapping one of my nuts with the end about one in three times. An unpleasant experience. My balls thank you.

THANK YOU for the Pro-Tip
 

I just recently started using my own mics, sometimes-- an AKG D112 (bass drum), and an Audix i5 (snare drum). I have 2 Mogami "Gold" cables, and admittedly haven't had a clear idea how to wrap them, although I'm aware that it needs to be done carefully.

The only cable wraps I've known are the fist-to-elbow "extension cord" wrap that has a natural figure-eight, and the self contained "noose" wrap for things like USB or RCA cables (that ends up making a little pig tail).

As the ropes get larger, like when coiling my rappelling rope (7/16"x120'), they're flaked a minimum of 3 times and simply back-coiled into a deployment bag. I'll also back-coil long electrical cords like my 50' extension cords.

I always threw my ropes into separate boxes on the bucket truck.

Different boxes because I used the old make-a-loop-then-pull-some-rope-through-the-loop-making-another-loop-then-pulling-some-through-THAT-loop-making-another-loop-lather-rinse-repeat-til-ya-run-outta-rope, then throw the whole pile in the box.

Grab either end of the rope and pull. No tangles.

Not so handy for say 120 feet of rope.